Re: completion-all-completions-with-base-size

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>]

>> >> > so it sounds like the above NEWS entry does not warrant any
>> >> > documentation in the manuals?  Why then it was added to NEWS?
>> >> 
>> >> Because some functions may call all-completions in a context where
>> >> someone has set completion-all-completions-with-base-size
>> >> (e.g. when all-completions is used internally by a functional
>> >> completion table), in which case it may be surprised by the extra `cdr'
>> >> (which could cause `length' or `mapcar' to signal an error).
>> 
>> > Well, I'm probably missing something, because I couldn't see how what
>> > all-completions returns could depend on
>> > completion-all-completions-with-base-size.  Please help me
>> > understand that.
>> 
>> Again, it's only in the case where the completion table is a function,
>> and only if that function depends on
>> completion-all-completions-with-base-size.

> If these are the only situations, then I don't think
> completion-all-completions-with-base-size warrants to be documented in
> the ELisp manual.  Whoever uses functions from minibuffer.el for
> completion tables ought to know about this variable and its role.

As mentioned, I hope it'll actually disappear.  But in the mean time,
the effect of completion-all-completions-with-base-size can sometimes be
exposed to code which knows nothing about the new minibuffer.el code.


        Stefan